


The Birds

by CatMoran (akaCat)



Category: due South
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-06-24
Updated: 2003-06-24
Packaged: 2017-10-10 06:26:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/96608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akaCat/pseuds/CatMoran
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I know nothing about the region south of the Beaufort Sea in Canada. The few details regarding that region in this story are taken from my 24-hour visit to Barrow, Alaska. Any facts contained in this story concerning birds should be considered strictly anecdotal.</p><p>Written for Isilya's Question challenge on Livejournal.</p><p>* Question: Why do birds suddenly appear anytime you are near?<br/>* Word: Wrapping<br/>* Taboo: Lick<br/>* Fandom: due South</p>
    </blockquote>





	The Birds

**Author's Note:**

> I know nothing about the region south of the Beaufort Sea in Canada. The few details regarding that region in this story are taken from my 24-hour visit to Barrow, Alaska. Any facts contained in this story concerning birds should be considered strictly anecdotal.
> 
> Written for Isilya's Question challenge on Livejournal.
> 
> * Question: Why do birds suddenly appear anytime you are near?  
> * Word: Wrapping  
> * Taboo: Lick  
> * Fandom: due South

Ray's feet tapped along with a tune playing on the old AM/FM/Cassette sitting on the work bench. It was something by the Carpenters, he thought. Old and silly, something that he'd been just a little too cool to admit that he liked when he was a kid. He stilled his feet for a moment as he made the last, almost imperceptible, adjustment to a new sparkplug in the Crown Vic. He felt the car deserved a little extra care, being one-of-a-kind up in freeze-your-butt-off Canada, otherwise known as Tuktoyuktuk, NT.

He was happy that he'd gotten the chance to take over as the town's primary mechanic when they moved up here a few months ago. But there just weren't that many cars in town. Most people had snowmobiles and four-wheelers, and the few passenger vehicles tended to be the sturdier jeeps and SUVs. It made working on Mrs. Devonshire's '71 Ford that much sweeter, and he couldn't resist the chance to fine-tune it to perfection.

With the garage doors closed against the freezing May wind, Ray had no warning when Fraser suddenly burst through the smaller people-door, slamming it behind him and admitting a burst of sound and cold air in the process. Ray jerked upright, knocking his head against the hood of the Ford. "Fra-ser! Jeez, warn a guy!" Ray rubbed the top of his head, leaving a streak of grease in his hair, and glared at his partner.

Fraser looked uncharacteristically flustered, straightening his red tunic and Sam Browne, and looking at Ray with wide eyes. "I'm very sorry, Ray. Are you all right?"

Ray glanced at his gloved hand, grimacing a bit. "Yeah, I'm ok. What's up with you? You never just barge in anywhere, unless you're getting ready to apprehend someone." He narrowed his eyes speculatively. "You _aren't_ arresting me, are you?"

Fraser's eyes widened further. "Of course not, Ray. Have you done anything that would warrant my taking such action?"

Ray couldn't resist a small smirk. "Nothing that's illegal in _this_ country, anyway. So, why the rush then?"

"I'm being chased."

Ray moved quickly to Fraser, pushing him out of sight of the door's small window and peering out. "By who? What'd they look like?" He looked as far as he could see in each direction, but the only people visible were the littlest Hansen kids, riding their Big Wheels in the Hansens' yard.

Fraser stood next to Ray at the window and pointed to the ground outside the door. "Not who, what."

Ray looked down, half-expecting to see a pack of wolves or even a polar bear, even though he knew they were very rarely seen in town. Instead, "birds? _Seagulls_, Fraser? You're being chased by seagulls?" He struggled to keep from laughing, half from the ridiculousness of the situation, and half from relief.

"Actually, Ray, they are Arctic Terns. And while they may not be particularly impressive, they do have rather sharp beaks."

Ray looked at the largest bird strutting on the walkway. It almost seemed to be staring through the window right at Fraser. "Hmm. Yeah, I can see that." He turned to Fraser. "So why're they chasing you? And how'd you get caught on the other side of town from the Depot, anyway? And without Dief?"

"As to the first, I don't know. As to my location and Diefenbaker's, Mrs. Zimmer asked me to speak at the elementary school this afternoon-"

"-And Dief didn't want to go?"

"Actually, Mrs. Zimmer specifically requested that he not accompany me. He was rather put out, but I think her point that the children might pay more attention to him than to my speech was valid."

"Uh-huh. You mean to tell me those birds have been chasing you all the way from the school?"

"No, they didn't approach me until I passed Whale Beach, just down the street."

"Ok, that makes more sense. So do these seagulls-"

"Arctic Terns, Ray."

"_Arctic Terns_, usually chase after people?"

Fraser rubbed his nose thoughtfully. "Not in my experience, no. A human is much larger prey than they generally consume."

"Ok, and have these birds ever chased _you_ before?"

"No..." Fraser looked at the ground, rubbing an eyebrow.

"--but? Come on Frase, spill it."

"It's possible that they have been... following me. At a bit of a distance. Since they returned north last month. I suppose that Diefenbaker's presence made them somewhat more cautious."

"And now you don't have your furry friend guarding you, so the birds have decided it's open season on Mounties."

"That's not quite correct, Ray. Neither Constable Aaluk nor Thompson has complained of any bird attacks, and Diefenbaker rarely accompanies them around town." Fraser frowned. "That's really quite odd. All of the winter uniforms are wool, and we treat all of the leather with the same Neatsfoot Oil."

Ray smirked. "And you're thinking like a _wolf_, Frase. The other guys always wear the blue uniform, right?" Fraser nodded. "I think I got it. Birds don't smell things--well, maybe they do, but mostly they _see_ things. Stella had a bird when we were kids, and if you gave that bird a toy or something that was red, it would tear it right up. Any other color, and it treated it real nice, but red it did not like. I'll bet your friends out there feel the same way."

"That sounds quite plausible, Ray. Now that I think about it, I don't recall seeing anyone wearing red outerwear this spring." Fraser looked out the window. "So if I just remove my tunic I should have no difficulty getting past the birds."

"You are not doing that, Frase. Just forget it! It's at least a mile back to the Depot, and it's not even 30 degrees out there."

Fraser put on his most reasonable face. "It's quite sunny outside. And regardless of the weather, I cannot allow the uniform to be defaced by those birds."

"Yeah, Fraser. And it'd be nice if they didn't deface your face, while they're at it. Come on, Frase--even if the cold doesn't get to you, you'll die of embarrassment from walking across town out of uniform. And anyway, what if I'm wrong about the red and those birds go after you anyway?"

Fraser rubbed an eyebrow, "Those are all valid points, Ray. But the fact remains that I must return to my post."

"You know, if we're going to carpool in your Jeep, you gotta quit leaving it back at the Depot all the time." Ray sighed. "I guess Mrs. Devonshire wouldn't mind me borrowing her car, but it'll be at least an hour before I've got it ready to run again."

Fraser shook his head. "I really can't wait, Ray. I'm sure that if I simply run, I'll have no problem without my tunic."

"Nope, no way, Frase. Just means there's less to protect you- Hang on, I got an idea..." Ray walked through the garage and into the adjoining office/storeroom/waiting room, reappearing a moment later with the green plaid blanket that normally hid the sad state of the waiting room's ancient couch. "Here y'go," he said, wrapping the blanket around Fraser's shoulders and covering the red tunic. "Ok, now your fan club will never recognize you. And if they do, the blanket might protect you."

Fraser looked down at the bright blue and green plaid thoughtfully, then smiled at Ray. "Thank you, Ray. This is an excellent idea." He turned and reached for the doorknob. "I'll just be heading back to the Depot now-"

"Um, no, Fraser. All I get is a 'thanks'? Come on, that's what I get from Old Joe for keeping the transmission on his van from ending up on the junk heap. You, I expect a little more from."

Fraser looked carefully puzzled. "More, Ray?"

"Yeah, more." Ray grabbed Fraser around the back of the neck and pulled him in for a thorough kiss. He pulled away with a smug grin. "More, Fraser."

"Ah, I see." Fraser pondered for a moment, then swung Ray around and pushed him against the wall. "Will this do?" he asked as he initiated an exploration of the other man's mouth. Minutes later he stepped back, with a questioning smile.

"Yeah, that's good, Frase. That's real... oh, yeah. Maybe you can thank me a little more when we get home?" He leaned back for a moment and let a ripple of desire move through him before he moved away from the wall.

"I think that can be arranged."

"Greatness. Yeah, I can go with that. And maybe we can take home some of those Arctic Terns for dinner, too." Ray grinned.

Fraser directed a stern look at him, but the twinkle in his eyes said that he knew Ray was only joking. "I think we can find a somewhat less endangered species for dinner, Ray."

"Those birds are in danger of being chicken soup as long as they're trying to make you endangered, Fraser."

Fraser smiled as he opened the door and stepped outside.

Ray sighed in relief when the birds continued to stare suspiciously at the door as Fraser walked past them. With a last absent rub to the sore spot on his head, he went back to work.

End


End file.
